The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, His Excellency, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi , on Monday decried the persistent child labour practices in Nigeria.
In a post on his X handle to celebrate the Children’s Day, Obi said more effort should be channeled toward pulling more Nigerians out of poverty and ensuring the rights of every Nigerian child.
He wrote below :
“On this day, we celebrate Children’s Day, I rejoice with all the Nigerian children, for whose sake, we remain firmly committed in our struggle for a New Nigeria.
This day which is set aside to celebrate the Nigerian child, presents us the opportunity to focus on our children – the future leaders of our nation, and also reminds us of the need to invest in their growth; and support and nurture their dreams.
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Every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education, healthcare, and a safe and secure environment to live and thrive. We must, therefore invest in these key areas of development for their sake and the future of our society.
Sadly, the challenges of child labour persists in our Nigerian society today. A National Bureau of Statistics report states that 39.2 per cent of our children are in child labour and 22.9 per cent of children are involved in hazardous work.
The reports further assert that four out of every ten children in Nigeria are trapped in child labour, therefore, putting the children and the future of society at risk.
In tackling the challenges of child labour, we must focus on pulling more Nigerians out of poverty and ensuring the respect of the rights of every Nigerian child.
While encouraging the parents, guardians, teachers and benefactors who see to the training of our children, I urge them to continue to give their best to raise responsible citizens in our nation.
To the children, I encourage them to take seriously their moral and educational formation. We restate our commitment to building a safe, secure and productive nation for our children to live in,
fully and freely explore their potentials – the New Nigeria we are working towards.
It is possible. -PO